Download 50 Years of research to Prevent Blindness

50 Years of Research to Prevent Blindness
Annual Report 2009
Research to Prevent Blindness
645 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022-1010
Jules Stein, M.D., Founder (1896-1981)
Officers
David F. Weeks Chairman
Diane S. Swift President
Jean Stein Vice President & Secretary
Richard E. Baker Treasurer
Board Of Trustees
William H. Ahmanson
Richard E. Baker *
John I. Bloomberg
John Kusmiersky
Sidney J. Sheinberg
Herbert J. Siegel
Jean Stein *
Diane S. Swift *
Katrina Vanden Heuvel
Casey Wasserman
David F. Weeks *
Tom Wertheimer
* Members of the Executive Committee
James V. Romano Chief Operating Officer
Matthew Levine Director of Communications and Marketing
Condon O’Meara McGinty & Donnelly LLP Auditors
Mosaic detail on the cover courtesy Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Arts for Transit and MTA New York City Transit.
“…the problem of
blindness must
be met before
darkness sets in.”
—from RPB’s first annual report, 1960
A Time for Reflection
The founding of Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) a half-century ago ushered in what can be termed the golden
age of eye research. A partial list of RPB’s significant accomplishments may be found on succeeding pages.
I was privileged to become RPB’s Chief Executive Officer when its grants program was first being
formulated, and have served RPB in a voluntary capacity as Chairman of its Board of Trustees since 2003.
As RPB marks its 50th Anniversary, it continues to stimulate an aggressive research effort to eradicate all
blinding disorders, but the challenges are significant! Due to our aging population, a cluster of serious eye
diseases threatens to reach epidemic proportions within the next few years.
RPB is an absolutely unique public foundation. Since its establishment, it has been associated with virtually
every advance in eye research and patient care. It has attained an enviable record of efficiency, economy
and accomplishment. It is distinctive in the manner in which it seeks to support talented scientists with
innovative ideas and often contrarian concepts. It has the smallest professional staff (never more than ten
employees during its entire existence) and enjoys the lowest historic fund-raising expense ratio (less than
two percent) among all major nonprofit foundations in this country.
RPB’s founder, Dr. Jules Stein, an ophthalmologist, created an endowment and a special fund to match
gifts up to $1,000,000 from others. While the endowment allows for the stability and continuity of RPB’s
long-range research effort, tax deductible gifts from the public sector make the difference between a
marginally successful program and a dynamic one. Historically, RPB has an outstanding record of converting
contributed dollars into solid scientific achievements.
I hope that you will share this Report with others, and we welcome your support of our efforts to preserve
vision and restore sight.
David F. Weeks, Chairman
R esearch to Prevent Blindness 3
Creating a Golden Age of
Eye Research
A Partial List of RPB’s Achievements
In 1960, RPB opened a new and exciting era of
ophthalmic research, spurring more scientific advances
in a short span of time than in all the previous recorded
years in history. As the result of its comprehensive
efforts, RPB has been identified with virtually every
major advance in the treatment of diseases that
diminish or destroy sight. Today, RPB researchers are
closer than ever to determining the causes of blinding
eye diseases, which are still largely unknown to science.
Creating the Environment to
Stimulate Eye Research
• Soon after launch, RPB initiated the first and only
exhaustive survey of eye research in the U.S. It
exposed a severe lack of laboratory space and
shortage of scientific personnel. RPB followed
that study with a landmark national public opinion
poll indicating that Americans feared blindness
more than any physical affliction except cancer.
• Before RPB, Ophthalmology was relegated to
subdivision status, under departments of Surgery
in most medical schools. This made funding
4
more difficult to obtain. By limiting its support to
departments of Ophthalmology, RPB encouraged
medical schools to upgrade Ophthalmology to
departmental status. With the consequent infusion
of basic scientists (stimulated by RPB) into these
new departments, the entire thrust of eye research
was enhanced and invigorated.
• In 1961, RPB launched a unique laboratory
construction campaign that led to the development
of eye institutes in every section of the country.
RPB’s first major endeavor was
sponsorship of a comprehensive
national survey which found that
only 15 ophthalmologists and 37
basic scientists were engaged
in vision research in the entire
country. The one year survey
report (left), comprised of 171
pages, recommended the creation
of eye departments at U.S.
medical schools and the creation
of a National Eye Institute within
the National Institutes of Health.
50 Years of
• A few years later, RPB initiated and spearheaded a
movement that created the National Eye Institute
(NEI) within the National Institutes of Health. The
effort succeeded despite stiff political opposition.
RPB then became a major influence in stimulating
interest and support on the Institute’s behalf.
• To this day, RPB’s grants provide innovative
scientists the seed money to help attract major
grants from the NEI and other sources.
Shown here is an artist’s sketch depicting the
Congressional testimony of RPB’s founder,
Dr. Jules Stein, in support of the successful
legislation, introduced by RPB, that led to the
creation of the National Eye Institute.
R e s e arch to Prevent Blindness RPB organized the first major Capital Gifts
Campaign to construct a new research building at
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
The concept stimulated the creation of dozens of
eye research institutes serving millions of patients
across the country. Shown here are just four
construction campaign projects financed by RPB.
Clockwise from top left: The Casey Eye Institute at
the Oregon Health & Science University; The Jules
Stein Eye Institute at UCLA; The Lions Eye Institute
at the University of Louisville; and the Cullen Eye
Institute at the Baylor College of Medicine.
5
6
With major grant support from RPB, David L.
Guyton, M.D., at The Johns Hopkins School of
Medicine, developed an automatic pediatric vision
screener to catch amblyopia earlier in children,
thereby increasing the opportunity for successful
treatment. Amblyopia occurs in two to three
percent of all children.
Photo: Keith Weller
With pioneering funding
from RPB in 1971, Robert
Machemer, M.D., of
the Bascom Palmer Eye
Institute, University of
Miami, developed the
instrumentation to perform
vitreoretinal surgery that
today saves and restores
the sight of thousands of
Americans each year. Here,
Dr. Machemer shows a
diagram of his instrument.
50 Years of
Dramatic Improvements
in Treatment
In the decade before RPB was founded, cataract
patients were hospitalized for an extended period,
with sand bags on both sides of their heads to
immobilize them during recovery. After surgery, they
were required to wear quarter-inch thick glasses,
which were not only unattractive but distorted
the world around them. The introduction of the
intraocular lens brought with it great promise—and
many surgical challenges. Scientists at several RPBsupported institutions collaborated to improve
both the lens and operative procedures. Today, the
cataract patient does not require hospitalization and
can generally return home within a few hours after
the procedure with greatly enhanced visual acuity.
Current research supported by RPB seeks to delay the
onset or prevent the formation of cataracts altogether.
During the same period, retinal detachment almost
always led to blindness. Fewer than four percent of
retinal detachment patients recovered their sight.
Today, the treatment is more than ninety percent
successful through the use of laser surgery and
other improved procedures.
R e s e arch to Prevent Blindness RPB’s Pioneering Grant Support—
and Promise for the Future
(a partial list of sight-saving accomplishments)
• One of RPB’s early grants provided support
to explore the adaptation of the laser to
treat vision disorders. At the time, the
government did not encourage this research
for security reasons. Since then, the laser
has been used to save the sight of patients
suffering from many eye diseases, including
glaucoma, cataract, myopia, and retinal
conditions such as macular degeneration
and diabetic retinopathy.
• RPB awarded the first grant ever for the
development of vitreoretinal surgical
instrumentation. Support from other sources
was unavailable because of the controversial
nature of the procedure. Today, the surgery
known as vitrectomy restores the sight of
thousands of Americans each year.
• RPB supported the initial basic research
that led to today’s anti-VEGF treatments for
patients with wet macular degeneration
and diabetic retinopathy.
7
• RPB has awarded continuous, critical support
for gene therapy treatments that have so far
reversed a form of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in
a dozen patients and corrected color blindness
in laboratory experiments. Gene therapies are in
development for many other eye diseases.
• RPB continues to support numerous, promising
developments in stem cell therapies to
restore sight by replacing or regrowing retinal
photoreceptor cells.
• RPB’s grant support has invigorated scientific
efforts to correct amblyopia—the leading cause
of vision loss among children in this country.
Photo: Stephen Voss
Scientific advances supported by RPB have saved
patients and the government billions of dollars in
Medicare costs. But, more important, they have
saved the sight and/or preserved the vision of
millions worldwide.
8
Albert Maguire, M.D., University of Pennsylvania
School of Medicine, prepares an eight-year-old
patient for gene therapy surgery that restored
the child’s sight, lost to a form of retinitis
pigmentosa. RPB’s continued support will
help bring gene therapy to patients with other
retinal diseases.
50 Years of
The Road Ahead, with an
Eye on the Rearview Mirror
It is more than a happy coincidence that, in our 50th year committed to the restoration of sight
and preservation of vision, RPB researchers report that 12 patients treated with gene therapy for
an inherited retinal degeneration have regained significant sight, and that a gene therapy cure for
color blindness has been proven possible.
When RPB embarked on our mission, we pledged resources to provide the time, tools and
environment necessary for our awardees to work, and for their creativity to flourish. Today, our
scientists are reporting discoveries and conducting clinical trials that promise to deliver betterthan-ever patient care.
And yet, even as we reflect on our golden anniversary, we recognize the cresting wave of aging
baby boomers, representing a surge in the number of people who will develop age-related
diseases of the eye. The urgent need of anyone confronting vision loss remains our motivation.
Our renewed efforts will continue to arm practicing ophthalmologists with tools developed by
our basic and clinical researchers. RPB extends a lifeline to those scientists and, by extension, to
patients. We will continue to do this for as long as it takes to fulfill our mission.
Diane S. Swift, President
R e s e arch to Prevent Blindness 9
RPB-SUPPORTED RESEARCH
REPORTED DURING 2009
The RPB
Research Program
Retinal Degeneration/ Vascular Disease
Glaucoma
50
years ago, RPB’s first survey of the nation’s top
eye research institutions disclosed three major
impediments to the prevention of eye disease:
lack of adequate lab facilities, lack of talented and
trained manpower, and lack of unrestricted funds for promising
projects. Since then, RPB has allocated hundreds of millions of
dollars to address these needs.
Cornea
Uveitis/Infectious Diseases
Basic
Clinical
Cataract
“RPB has developed an army of promising researchers through
our Research Program,” says Dr. Harold Spalter, Chairman of RPB’s
Scientific Advisory Panel.
Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)/Strabismus (Crossed Eyes)
RPB’s Program is constantly refined to address urgent and emerging
needs within the vision community. “We have regularly taken the
pulse of eye research across this country, and have created new grant
categories or unique awards to maintain its vitality,” says Spalter.
Neuro-Ophthalmology
Oncology
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Number of RPB Grantee Institutions
Hundreds of RPB-supported vision scientists
throughout the U.S. are investigating the areas of
basic and clinical research graphed above. Basic
research refers to fundamental laboratory research
such as molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry,
immunology and pharmacology. Clinical investigation
refers to research applied to the human condition.
10 Examples abound. Since 1984, the Jules and Doris Stein RPB
Professorship has been available to department chairs as a powerful
tool to recruit accomplished basic scientists into ophthalmology. In
1993, RPB began awarding Medical Student Fellowships to attract
potential researchers into ophthalmology. More recently, RPB was able
to realize a benefactor’s vision and stimulate disease-specific studies by
creating the Walt and Lilly Disney Award for Amblyopia Research. Says
Spalter, “I know of no other eye research organization as responsive.”
50 Years of
Joseph M. Miller, M.D., M.P.H., University of
Arizona College of Medicine, recipient of a Walt
and Lilly Disney Award for Amblyopia Research,
develops child-friendly vision testing tools. Here,
he is measuring the astigmatism of an infant with
a device that measures corneal curvature while
allowing eye contact with the child.
R e11
s e arch to Prevent Blindness 5 0 Y e a r s11o f
2009 Advances
in Eye Research
In 2009, the patient above, along with 11 vision-compromised patients with a rare form of Leber’s
Congenital Amaurosis, continued treatment with gene therapy in one eye. Each patient experienced
dramatic restoration of sight with no significant adverse effects. And there was more encouraging
news. While there had been some concern that previous exposure to the virus used to carry the
gene therapy might set off a damaging immune system response, studies have demonstrated the
therapy’s safety.
12 50 Years of
In every Annual Report since 1960, we have
presented advances in eye research. The earliest
success stories included a development ranked by
the American Medical Association as one of the
top ten medical advances of 1962: a drug originally
synthesized as a possible cancer treatment was
found effective against herpes simplex keratitis.
That same year, scientists achieved the first
successful imaging of the bloodstreams in the
retina (magnified 1,000 times), while others used
a laser to repair torn retinas. A year later, the first
reliable recordings of specific brain responses in
visual field testing were reported.
Many of today’s breakthroughs are built on earlier
findings. Almost none would have been possible
without the 50 years of support from RPB grants.
The following briefs are culled from published
studies as well as the year-end summaries of
ongoing work that RPB requires of its grantees.
2009
Active individual grantees: 155
Active grantee institutions: 57
Published studies citing RPB: 950
R e s e arch to Prevent Blindness Retinal diseases, including Age-Related
Macular Degeneration (AMD)
RPB researchers have finalized the world’s first
complete volume of retinal neuronal connectivity,
providing a thorough blueprint of how the retina is
constructed and allowing science, for the first time
in 150 years of study, to define what is normal for
retinal circuitry.
Investigators confirmed that compounds called
polyphenols (found in plants, including berries
and tea) may assist in delaying, slowing or treating
certain types of retinal degenerations, including
retinitis pigmentosa.
Drugs used in psychiatry and neurology as mood
stabilizers and anti-epileptics may provide a novel
treatment for preserving vision in individuals with
ischemic injury (shortage of the blood supply) to
the retina, according to RPB scientists.
Damaging, excessive blood vessel growth
(neovascularization), a defining feature of wet
AMD, retinopathy of prematurity, and proliferative
diabetic retinopathy may be inhibited by some
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs),
according to RPB-supported investigators.
13
W. Clay Smith, Ph.D., University of Florida, uses
fluorescently labeled proteins to investigate the
functioning of rod and cone photoreceptors to
prevent their degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa.
RPB funds were applied to the development of
a new device to image the distribution of the
macular carotenoids, lutein and xeaxanthin, in
the living human eye. This device is the only one
approved for use in the NEI-sponsored AREDS-2
study, designed to assess the effects of these oral
supplements as well as omega-3 fatty acids.
14 RPB researchers have taken the first step in creating a
technique to remove fatty by-products that accumulate
over long periods in the retinal pigment epithelium and
contribute to the development of AMD.
An RPB-supported investigation has produced data
suggesting that the broad spectrum antibiotic,
minocycline, may be useful in the treatment of
50 Years of
photoreceptor degeneration associated with retinal
detachment, up to 24 hours after the retina has
become detached.
Eye Movement Disorders
Researchers studying the formation of extraocular
muscles are seeking to identify the regulators of
muscle regeneration in order to treat strabismus
(crossed eyes) and amblyopia (lazy eye).
Cataract
Evidence indicates that patients over the age of
50 who have had vitrectomy surgery (removal of
the vitreous gel which fills the eye) are prone to
develop nuclear cataracts. Scientists now report
that it should be feasible to delay or prevent these
cataracts, possibly by supplementing a form of
vitamin C—ascorbate—to the vitreous cavity in the
middle of the eye.
Advances in
gene therapy
RPB researchers’ use of gene therapy to cure color
blindness in the lab was cited as the No.3 scientific
discovery of 2009 by Time Magazine. Successful tests
of gene therapy have opened the door to treating a
range of eye diseases. Clinical trials are being formed
to treat patients with achromatopsia (inability to
distinguish colors). Other gene therapy trials are in the
works to treat those with retinoschisis (splitting of the
retina) and diabetic retinopathy.
Cornea
RPB-supported findings reveal for the first time
that allergic asthma is a risk factor for corneal graft
rejection. The findings also identify therapeutic
targets for neutralizing immune factors that
contribute to corneal graft rejection.
R e s e arch to Prevent Blindness For millions of people with color blindness (mostly
afflicting men) gene therapy may allow them to see and
use the full spectrum of crayons (top) as opposed to the
drab colors they now see (bottom) and, more important,
to enter careers requiring accurate color discrimination,
which currently inhibits their employment.
15
Advances in stem
cell therapy
As science unravels the
biological mechanisms
of eye development and
disease progression,
the ability to regenerate
damaged tissue through
stem cell therapy becomes
ever more possible.
At one RPB-sponsored
lab, investigators have
grown retinal cells from
stem cells. At another,
iPS cells at four weeks
they have directed retinal
into their development as
pigment epithelium
photoreceptor cells.
cells into becoming
photoreceptor-like cells. Still other scientists report
success at integrating newly generated retinal ganglion
cells into the circuitry of the retina and brain.
In a development that holds great promise for the entire
field of regenerative medicine, RPB researchers are focusing
on a new type of stem cells: induced pluripotent stem cells
(iPS cells). These are made by inserting stem cell genes
into skin fibroblasts (the most common type of cell found in
connective tissue), resulting in cells that have all the qualities
of embryonic stem cells. Mature, functioning photoreceptor
cells have been grown using this method. More important,
iPS cells can generate patient-specific stem cells, eliminating
the risk of rejection by the body’s immune system.
16
Scientists have demonstrated that Rapamycin, a
drug used to prevent rejection of transplanted
organs, can be used to prevent corneal scarring
following corneal transplantation.
Researchers found that topical trichostatin A,
applied immediately after laser refractive therapy,
may help prevent corneal haze, a common postsurgery complication.
Diabetic Eye Disease
Preliminary evidence indicates diabetic patients who
smoke may be risking the acceleration of retinal
disease due to the potential additive effects of chronic
exposure to both high blood sugar and nicotine.
Data gathered over a 25-year period suggest
that sustained blood sugar and blood pressure
control may be beneficial in reducing the incidence
of macular edema, a significant cause of visual
impairment in persons with diabetes.
Dry Eye
For the first time, researchers identified a specific
protein in the lacrimal gland that can cause dry eye
in Sjogren’s syndrome. The finding will allow them
to identify therapeutic interventions.
50 Years of
Neuro-Ophthalmology—Nancy J. Newman,
M.D., Emory University, is studying patients
with elevated intracranial pressure (called
idiopathic intracranial hypertension, or IHH).
She has found that African American patients
and male patients with the disease are at
higher risk for blinding visual loss, and that
sleep apnea may also be a contributing factor.
Glaucoma
RPB researchers have established that
communication between the optic nerve and brain
is challenged very early in glaucoma and can be
rescued by medication. Their central finding—that
glaucoma likely originates in the brain—represents
a paradigm shift in the current understanding of
R e s e arch to Prevent Blindness the disease and opens the door to neuroprotective
therapies.
Ocular Cancer
Researchers suggest that patients undergoing
certain radiation treatment for an eye cancer known
as choroidal melanoma should be monitored
for several years to allow early identification and
17
management of corneoscleral necrosis (premature
cell death—a significant complication recently
described by an RPB research team).
RPB-supported findings indicate that an available
drug used to inhibit the growth of leaky blood
vessels may be useful as an adjunct therapy for
micrometastatic eye melanoma.
Uveitis and Ocular Inflammation
Beyond the eye
An RPB researcher studying blood vessel development
in the eye translated those findings into a breakthrough
development in kidney regeneration. There are no
effective treatments for acute kidney injury, a growing
problem in hospitals and clinics. “This […] pathway may
be important to tissue regeneration and repair in other
organs, including the heart, lung and intestine,” said
the researcher.
An RPB award was one of two key grants used to
finance the Systemic Immunosuppressive Therapy for
Eye Diseases (SITE) Cohort Study, the largest group
of ocular inflammation patients ever assembled.
The results support wider use of immunosuppressive
drugs for treatment of difficult cases of ocular
inflammation that need long-term treatment.
Drug Delivery Systems
While some scientists are developing new
ophthalmic drugs, others are seeking ways to
efficiently deliver these agents to the eye. One
group has demonstrated that a single injection
containing thermo-sensitive hydrogel may be
useful in improving the delivery of multiple agents
to intraocular tissues.
18 A type of macrophage called a microglial cell (shown
here in purple) is closely associated with blood vessels
in the retina (shown in blue). Cells of this type elicit
repair responses after kidney injury and likely have the
same kind of repair activity in many organs.
50 Years of
Lifestyle research:
A guide to eye health
Based on the premise that education about the causes of eye disease
can improve prevention, the timely dissemination of eye research
developments has been one of RPB’s goals since the beginning.
In 2009, RPB distributed a “Guide to Eye Health,” a fact sheet
containing recent findings on “lifestyle” risk factors for eye disease.
Since its publication, even more lifestyle news has come to light.
RPB researchers have suggested
that drinking and smoking may
accelerate the risk of AMD with
increasing age, and that even
smokers aged 80 and over
should quit or face an ever-rising
risk of macular degeneration.
progression of retinal disease
among African American
patients with type 1 diabetes.
A study indicated that
nutrient-rich diets, rather than
vitamins and minerals taken
as supplements, are related to
having less severe cataracts.
Investigators reported that
improving vitamin D levels in the
blood (from moderate exposure
to the sun, walking outdoors and
consuming vitamin D-containing
foods and supplements) was
related to lower risk for early
stages of age-related macular
degeneration.
Scientists found that high caloric
and sodium intakes appear
to be associated with the
A study confirmed that omega-3
fatty acids (found in fish such as
salmon, mackerel or tuna, and
R e s e arch to Prevent Blindness The “Guide to Eye Health” can
be ordered from RPB’s Web site,
www.rpbusa.org.
in walnuts, flax seed and other
foods) can prevent and treat
retinopathy and improve retinal
function in type 2 diabetes.
Researchers reported that
resveratrol, a plant compound
found in red wine, peanuts, and
many berries, may counteract
age-related effects and reduce
intraocular pressure, suggesting
it may be useful as a treatment
for glaucoma.
19
New Grants 2009
The Jules and Doris Stein RPB Professorship
is RPB’s premier award, providing up to $700,000
across seven years with a possible additional
$150,000 in matching funds to equip lab space. It is
designed to foster translational research by recruiting
outstanding basic scientists to conduct clinically
relevant research in a department of ophthalmology.
In 2009, there were four active RPB Stein Professors.
20
Paulo A. Ferreira, Ph.D.
Duke University School of Medicine
Dr. Ferreira (above) seeks to understand the genetic and
molecular bases of diseases affecting neurons of the retina
and causing visual impairment. Many of his findings have
medical implications far beyond vision science. “Among
other advances, we have identified molecular processes that
contribute to the protection of light-sensing neurons from
light-elicited damage and aging. These advancements will
define novel therapeutic targets and approaches to delay the
onset or cure a variety of visual disorders,“ says Ferreria.
50 Years of
James L. Funderburgh, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Identified trabecular meshwork stem cells, opening the path
for stem cell therapy reduction of intraocular pressure and
prevention of glaucoma.
Irina A. Pikuleva, Ph.D.
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
strategies to enhance its function in order to prevent or slow
progression of AMD.
David S. Williams, Ph.D.
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Investigated the effects of the metabolite oxaloacetate on
lifespan, with the prospect of using it as a treatment to retard
retinal degenerations.
Identified the most abundant enzyme involved in eliminating
cholesterol from the retina; will start developing therapeutic
The RPB Walt and Lilly Disney Award
for Amblyopia Research
was created through a pledge from The
Walt and Lilly Disney Foundation and
provides funds to respected ophthalmic
scientists for research into improved
detection, treatment or cures for amblyopia.
David R. Copenhagen, Ph.D.
University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
Amblyopia develops in children, usually before they
can speak, making it particularly difficult to detect. The
condition can lead to a permanent loss of visual function
and is thought to result from incomplete or malformed
connections between neurons in the visual system.
“Recently, we found that a specific hormone-like factor
called a neurotrophin plays a key role in the normal
maturation of neural connections in the retina during
postnatal development,” says Dr. Copenhagen, “and we are
investigating pharmacological and genetic approaches to
new therapies.”
R e s e arch to Prevent Blindness 21
21
Deepak Shukla, Ph.D.
University of Illinois at Chicago
“We are investigating the molecular and cellular basis for
the spread of ocular herpes within the human eye. We have
been able to establish that cells respond to ocular herpes
infection by enhancing the number of cellular projections
(filopodia). The virus, in turn, uses this opportunity to travel
along filopodia to reach the cell body.”
RPB Lew R. Wasserman Merit Awards
provide $60,000 to mid-career scientists,
creating a continuum of financial resources for
them to build on earlier work and maintain a
research career.
Reza Dana, M.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.
Harvard Medical School
Developing novel and effective treatments that control
inflammation and immunity in dry eye disease.
Shiming Chen, Ph.D.
David C. Musch, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine
The Regents of the University of Michigan School of Medicine
Determining how mutations of CRX (the master regulator
gene for photoreceptor function and survival) cause disease
in order to test the effectiveness of gene therapy.
2 2
Determining if the location of damage from glaucoma is
important in predicting disease progression.
50 Years of
RPB Senior Scientific Investigator Awards
provide $75,000 to extend the productivity
of seasoned vision scientists who can play a
crucial role in training the next generation
of eye researchers.
Edward Chaum, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Developing Internet-based, automated methods for
diagnosing blinding eye diseases.
P. Michael Iuvone, Ph.D.
Emory University School of Medicine
Utilizing circadian rhythms and neuromodulators in the retina
to develop novel treatment strategies for blinding diseases
such as AMD.
R e s e arch to Prevent Blindness Robert W. Massof, Ph.D.
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Measuring quality of life for a large, multi-center clinical trial
on low vision rehabilitation.
Julia E. Richards, Ph.D.
The Regents of the University of Michigan School of Medicine
Determining if non-ocular conditions are genetically
associated with early middle age onset of open angleglaucoma.
Sybil B. Harrington Endowment
Since 1994, the Sybil B. Harrington Endowment
has generated funds for several RPB grant awards
and has enabled RPB to create an additional Senior
Scientific Investigator Award for work focused on agerelated macular degeneration. This year’s recipient is
Jayakrishna Ambati, M.D. (pictured at left), University of
Kentucky College of Medicine. “My lab will be pursuing
information about the precise mechanism of action of
small interfering RNAs that may lead to new treatments
for ocular angiogenesis [excessive blood vessel growth].
We will also continue our pursuit of biomarkers for the
progression of AMD and examine various compounds
for their ability to suppress angiogenesis in diseases
of the cornea. All of these studies will enhance our
understanding of fundamental vascular biology.”
23
RPB Career Development Awards
provide $200,000 across four years to
outstanding young clinical and basic scientists
conducting research in departments of
ophthalmology. They are valuable recruiting
tools for chairs of departments of ophthalmology.
Alon Kahana, M.D., Ph.D.
The Regents of the University of Michigan School of Medicine
Developing new tools for diagnosis and treatment of
extraocular muscle and orbital disorders in amblyopia
and eye movement disorders, using regenerative
medicine technologies.
Aparna Lakkaraju, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine
Understanding cholesterol homeostasis in the retinal
pigment endothelium and assessing whether cholesterolmodifying drugs like statins will be beneficial to the
treatment of AMD.
Holly L. Rosenzweig, Ph.D.
Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine
Investigating the role of the NOD2 gene in autoinflammatory eye disease and its connection to skin
and joint diseases.
Douglas Gould, Ph.D. (pictured at left)
University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
Dr. Gould’s lab is testing a novel theory that misfolded
mutant proteins lead to oxidative stress in tissues key to
AMD. “We are developing and using unique and valuable
tools to understand the basic disruption of normal bodily
functions in retinal diseases. Our goal is to discover new
cellular mechanisms that can be exploited to delay or
prevent vision loss in patients.”
24
50 Years of
RPB Special Scholar Awards
recognize promising young scientists of
exceptional merit and are given in honor of
former Trustees and others who have made
generous contributions of time, energy and
financial resources in support of eye research.
Audrey Bernstein, Ph.D.
William & Mary Greve Scholar Award
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Addressing ways to promote wound healing of the cornea
after LASIK-induced corneal edema.
Meredith Gregory-Ksander, Ph.D.
Sybil B. Harrington Scholar Award
Harvard Medical School
Determining how the corneal epithelial barrier to infection
is maintained and how bacteria penetrate this barrier.
Albert S. Jun, M.D., Ph.D.
Dolly Green Scholar Award
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Studying basic cellular defects in Fuchs’ dystrophy to
develop non-surgical treatments for the disease.
David N. Zacks, M.D., Ph.D.
Sybil B. Harrington Scholar Award
The Regents of the University of Michigan School of Medicine
Laying the foundation for the development of human clinical
trials for photoreceptor neuroprotective therapy.
R e s e arch to Prevent Blindness Tueng T. Shen, M.D., Ph.D. (pictured above)
Ernest & Elizabeth Althouse Scholar Award
University of Washington School of Medicine
Dr. Shen combines ophthalmology, bioengineering and
electrical engineering to develop new treatment options
for people with eye disorders. “We now have a contact lens
wireless monitoring device that can transmit continuous
information about intraocular pressure and glucose levels to
expand our understanding of diseases like glaucoma. We are
also creating intraocular replacement lenses that continually
release post-operative medications. And we are refining
the next generation of artificial corneas to help millions who
suffer from corneal blindness regain sight.”
25
Louise A. Mawn, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Dr. Mawn is working on minimally invasive approaches to optic
nerve surgery that would provide better treatments for optic
neuropathies. “We are at the dawn of the neuroprotective
era, and I intend to provide the means to get these new
treatments to the optic nerve without disturbing it.”
RPB Physician-Scientist Awards provide
$60,000 each to nationally recognized M.D.s who
bring to the laboratory a practical understanding
of patients’ needs while their research efforts
yield new knowledge in treating patients.
Louis Robert Pasquale, M.D.
Harvard Medical School
Defining gene-environment interactions and delineating the
genetic architecture of primary open angle-glaucoma.
Terry Smith, M.D.
The Regents of the University of Michigan School of Medicine
Developing therapies for patients with sight threatening
Graves disease.
26
50 Years of
RPB Medical Student Eye Research
Fellowships, of $30,000 each, enable students
to take a year off from their usual course of
studies to pursue a laboratory research project
within a department of ophthalmology.
Kathleen Berg
University of Minnesota, Academic Health Center, Medical School
Investigating the cause of infantile nystagmus, characterized
by involuntary eye movements, which can reduce vision.
Lloyd Cuzzo
Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
Identifying the role of certain proteins in the development
of optic neuropathy in Alzheimer’s disease.
Asim Visal Farooq
University of Illinois at Chicago
Investigating entry receptors used by the herpes simplex
virus (HSV-1) to enter the corneal epithelium.
Varsha Manjunath
Jack Sychev (pictured above)
University of Washington School of Medicine
Using light-absorbing compounds as nano-switches, coupled
with pharmacological agents, to restore light sensation to cells.
Peter Hao Tang
Medical University of South Carolina
Tufts University School of Medicine
Developing a technique to improve the delivery of multiple
therapeutic agents to intraocular tissues in the treatment of
retinal disease.
RPB Research Sabbatical Grants provide
$50,000 each to mid-career researchers involved
in educational and scientific programs that either
enhance their scientific expertise or allow them to
pursue a new ophthalmic research career path.
Eric A. Pierce, M.D., Ph.D.
Investigating the outer retina/retinal pigment epithelium
complex in dry AMD employing a new one-micron, ultra-high
resolution (OCT) prototype.
R e s e arch to Prevent Blindness University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Dr. Pierce will travel to the Vision Institute, Inserm-Pierre
and Marie Curie University and to the Nijmegen Center for
Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Netherlands,
where he will be identifying the genetic causes of inherited
retinal degenerations to determine how mutations cause
death of photoreceptor cells.
27
The Grants
Review
Process
RPB
relies on a diverse group of experts to
review applications, a practice begun by
Dr. Stein. To maintain objectivity, ad hoc committees
(rotating panels composed of chairs of departments
of ophthalmology) review applications and offer
recommendations to the Scientific Advisory Panel.
That panel—made up of eminent scientists from
wide-ranging fields—passes recommendations to
the RPB Board of Trustees for final approval.
2009 RPB Ad Hoc Committee Members
Dimitri T. Azar, M.D., University of Illinois at Chicago
William T. Driebe, M.D., University of Florida College of Medicine
David L. Epstein, M.D., Duke University School of Medicine
Barrett G. Haik, M.D., University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Shalesh Kaushal, M.D., Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center
Lanning B. Kline, M.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine
Mark J. Mannis, M.D., University of California, Davis, School of Medicine
Stephen D. McLeod, M.D., University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
Travis A. Meredith, M.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
In Memoriam: Steven M. Podos, M.D.
The Research to Prevent Blindness Board of Trustees and staff
are saddened at the passing of Dr. Steven M. Podos. Dr. Podos
held many significant positions in the field of glaucoma research,
and served on RPB’s Scientific Advisory Panel.
2 8
Timothy W. Olsen, M.D., Emory University School of Medicine
Joel S. Schuman, M.D., F.A.C.S., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Paul Sternberg, Jr., M.D., Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
James C. Tsai, M.D., Yale University School of Medicine
Russell N. Van Gelder, M.D., Ph.D., University of Washington School of Medicine
50 Years of
2009 RPB Scientific Advisory Panel
HAROLD F. SPALTER, M.D., Chair
Emeritus Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology
Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
ROBERT EUGENE ANDERSON, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, Departments of Cell Biology & Ophthalmology
Director of Research, Dean A. McGee Eye Institute
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
JOHN E. DOWLING, Ph.D.
Professor of Neurosciences, Department of Molecular and Cellular
Biology, Harvard University
ROBERT FOLBERG, M.D.
Founding Dean, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Professor, Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Pathology & Ophthalmology
KRZYSZTOF PALCZEWSKI, Ph.D.
Professor & Chair, Department of Pharmacology
Case Western Reserve University
STEPHEN J. RYAN, M.D.
President, Doheny Eye Institute
Professor, Department of Ophthalmology
Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
SHEILA K. WEST, Ph.D.
Professor, Departments of Ophthalmology & Epidemiology
Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicineory Panel
2006 – 2008.
Left to right: Palczewski, Anderson, Michael Gorin (M.D., Ph.D.,
Departments of Human Genetics & Ophthalmology, University of
California, Los Angeles), Higginbotham, Spalter (seated), West, Folberg,
Moore.
EVE J. HIGGINBOTHAM, S.M., M.D.
Senior Vice President & Executive Dean for Health Sciences
Howard University
HAIG H. KAZAZIAN, Jr., M.D.
Professor, Department of Genetics
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
GORDON K. KLINTWORTH, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, Departments of Pathology & Ophthalmology
Duke University School of Medicine
ANTHONY MOORE, MA, FRCS, FRCOphth, FMedSci
Division of Inherited Eye Disease
Institute of Ophthalmology, University College of London
R e s e arch to Prevent Blindness 29
Network in Action
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a leading cause of
childhood blindness throughout the world, may develop
in prematurely born infants. There are indications
that the ROP rate may be increasing as a result of an
increasing neonatal population, while the number of
ophthalmologists performing examinations on these
infants is diminishing. A team of RPB researchers is
collaborating to counter both trends by developing
reliable, quick, telemedical diagnostic approaches for
ROP: Robison V. Paul Chan, M.D., F.A.C.S., of WeillCornell Medical College; Michael F. Chiang, M.D., of
Columbia University; and Thomas C. Lee, M.D., of the
University of Southern California. “We’re looking at how
to identify the disease better and learning more about
how it develops,” says Chan. “Treating these children
can be stressful. You’re not only trying to help these
very young, very sick patients, but also their parents and
families who are obviously extremely worried.”
National
Network of
Eye Research
The flexibility of RPB support helps create a true national
network of eye research. Grants from RPB enable
departments of ophthalmology to enhance projectspecific grant work from other sources, magnifying the
value of those grants. RPB support can also be used to
promote collaborations with other research departments
or even other schools. The adjacent list includes U.S.
medical institutions that received new departmental
grants, or new awards for individual investigators.
How RPB Funds Were Expended 1960-2009
82% Research
71% Eye research grants
1% Fund raising
8% Public and
professional information
4% Scientific symposia,
seminars and surveys
2% Laboratory construction
support projects
9% Administration
3 0
5% Research program development
50 Years of
StateRPB Grantee InstitutionsTotal Grants 2009Total Support Including 2009
ALABAMA
ARIZONA
CALIFORNIA
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
ILLINOIS
INDIANA
IOWA
KENTUCKY
LOUISIANA
MARYLAND
MASSACHUSETTS
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
MISSOURI
NEBRASKA
NEW JERSEY
NEW YORK
NORTH CAROLINA
OHIO
OKLAHOMA
OREGON
PENNSYLVANIA
SOUTH CAROLINA
TENNESSEE
TEXAS
UTAH
WASHINGTON
WEST VIRGINIA
WISCONSIN
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine
University of Arizona College of Medicine
University of California, Davis, School of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine
University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California University of Florida College of Medicine
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
University of Illinois at Chicago
Indiana University School of Medicine
The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
University of Louisville School of Medicine
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Tufts University School of Medicine
The Regents of the University of Michigan School of Medicine
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Mayo Medical School
University of Minnesota, Academic Health Center, Medical School
University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine
Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine
University of Nebraska Medical Center
University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey Medical School
Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Duke University School of Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Medical University of South Carolina
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
University of Utah Health Sciences Center
University of Washington School of Medicine
West Virginia University School of Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine
*Includes a four-year $200,000 Research to Prevent Blindness Career Development Award, payable at the rate of $50,000 per year.
R e s e arch to Prevent Blindness $ 100,000
100,000
100,000
100,000
200,000
100,000
400,000*
130,000
100,000 100,000 175,000
100,000
190,000
100,000
100,000
175,000
100,000
100,000
200,000
275,000
30,000
550,000*
100,000
100,000
130,000
100,000
160,000
100,000
100,000
100,000
160,000
100,000
100,000
100,000
100,000
100,000
100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000
300,000* 130,000
100,000
130,000 175,000 160,000
100,000
100,000
100,000
200,000 200,000 100,000 300,000*
$3,435,000
1,745,000
3,073,900
7,890,750
535,000
2,760,000
5,789,256
4,233,500
3,225,600
3,670,200
3,287,100
2,195,000
3,606,712
2,539,000
3,527,425
1,070,000
3,169,800
2,182,100
6,680,140
6,745,215
2,993,697
4,823,050
3,433,000
2,574,600
2,728,701
1,812,300
5,997,900
1,440,000
1,967,000
4,293,167
3,645,700
2,200,250
480,000
2,210,000
5,713,350
1,070,500
2,812,500
1,420,000
1,086,750 4,251,600
3,862,150
5,093,500
3,468,372
1,977,500
1,935,000
1,950,500
3,704,060
3,446,000
4,565,300
2,962,638
273,100
3,664,215
4,158,750
31
RPB—RPBEF
COMBINED BUDGET—2010
Research Grants
and Other Program Allocations:
Unrestricted, Development
and Challenge Grants to Medical
Schools and Other Institutions.....................$ 6,400,000
Research Professorships, Senior Scientific
Investigators, Research Manpower and
Visiting Professors Awards............................ 5,115,000
Special Scientific Scholars and International
Research Scholars Grants..............................
500,000
Special, Emergency and LRW Grants.......... 1,145,000
Direct Research Support...............................
445,000
Research Program Development and Research
Facility Construction Grants..........................
360,000
Scientific Seminars,
Surveys and Symposia...................................
285,000
Public and Professional Information............
675,000
Total Program Services..................................$ 14,925,000
Management and General Allocations:
Salaries, Employee Benefits
and Payroll Tax................................................
201,325
Professional/Consultant Fees....................... 1,162,500
Office Equipment/Supplies..........................
8,825
Rent and Occupancy.....................................
45,000
Depreciation, Amortization and Insurance.
23,000
Travel and Meetings......................................
2,350
Telephone.......................................................
2,000
Printing, Stationery, Postage
and Shipping..................................................
3,000
Miscellaneous
(Dues, Subscriptions, Other, etc.) ................
20,000
Total Management and General............ 1,468,000
Fund Raising Allocations:.........................
100,000
Total........................................................... 1,568,000
Grand Total.................................................$ 16,493,000
32
32
Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc. (RPB)
Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund (RPBEF)
Combined Statement of Financial Position
DECEMBER 31, 2009
ASSETS
RPB
Cash and cash equivalents...................................... $
Investments, at market value................................... *Amounts due from RPB.......................................... Interest receivable.................................................... Contributions receivable......................................... Due from investment managers—net.................... Prepaid expenses and refundable deposits.......... Net fixed assets........................................................ Other assets.............................................................. Total assets...................................................... RPBEF
2,663,466
$ 4,844,732
16,416,149 221,309,693
0
803,805
68,256 1,018,075
194,824
0
0
0
0
0
46,241
0
6,000
0
19,394,936 227,976,305
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued expenses.............. 48,005
62,222
Due to investment managers—net......................... Grants payable......................................................... 0
0
199,590
3,693,436
*Amounts due to RPBEF.......................................... Total current liabilities................................... 803,805
851,810
0
3,955,248
NET ASSETS
Unrestricted net assets
Unrestricted—general operating....................... Unrestricted—designated................................... Total unrestricted net assets........................ 8,350,240 121,080,108
0 48,386,712
8,350,240 169,466,820
Temporarily restricted net assets............................ Permanently restricted net assets........................... Total net assets............................................... 2,846,214 8,572,426
7,346,672 45,981,811
18,543,126 224,021,057
Total liabilities and net assets...................... $
19,394,936
$ 227,976,305
* Amounts due to RPBEF and from RPB are eliminated upon combination.
50 Years of
RPB—RPBEF
COMBINED STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009
2009
200
Unrestricted
General Temporarily Permanently
Operating
Designated Total Restricted Restricted Public support and revenue
Public support
Contributions.............................................................................. $
1,140,964
$
—
$
1,140,964
$ 1,368,382
$
1,607 $
Combined Federal Campaign.................................................. 54,500
—
54,500
— —
Ophthalmological associate memberships.............................. 130,200
—
130,200
—
— Donated investments................................................................. 59,745
— 59,745
— — Total public support............................................................. 1,385,409
—
1,385,409
1,368,382
1,607
Revenue
Interest and dividends............................................................... Other revenue............................................................................. Total revenue........................................................................ Net assets released from restrictions or designation
Satisfaction of program restrictions or designations................... Satisfaction of Matching Fund restrictions .................................. Total net assets released from restrictions
or designation.................................................................. Total public support and revenue..................................... Expenses
Program services
Research grants, net of canceled grants
of $758,805 in 2009 and $1,433,738 in 2008......................... Direct research support............................................................. Program development to stimulate laboratory
expansion and eye research activities.................................. Scientific symposia, seminars and surveys .............................. Laboratory construction support projects................................ Public and professional information......................................... Total program services........................................................ Supporting services
Management and general ........................................................ Fund raising................................................................................ Total supporting services.................................................... Total expenses...................................................................... Excess (deficiency) of revenue over expenses
before realized gain (loss) and change in unrealized
appreciation (depreciation) of investments................ Total Total
2,510,953
$
54,500
130,200
59,745
2,755,398
1,06
8,862,083
465,935
9,328,018
— — — 8,862,083
465,935
9,328,018
764,914
— 764,914
8,117
— 8,117
9,635,114
465,935
10,101,049
1,292,892
1,000,000 (756,892)
— 536,000
1,000,000 (536,000)
(1,000,000) — — — — 2,292,892
13,006,319
(756,892)
(756,892)
1,536,000
12,249,427
(1,536,000)
597,296
— 9,724
— 12,856,447
14,70
7,621,214
409,829
— — 7,621,214
409,829
— — — — 7,621,214
409,829
8,76
43
321,920
267,232
13,457
671,185
9,304,837
—
—
—
—
—
321,920
267,232
13,457
671,185
9,304,837
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
321,920
267,232
13,457
671,185
9,304,837
31
259
1
63
10,42
1,215,732
88,193
1,303,925
10,608,762
—
—
—
—
1,215,732
88,193
1,303,925
10,608,762
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1,215,732
88,193
1,303,925
10,608,762
1,44
15
1,59
12,01
(756,892)
1,640,665
597,296
9,724
2,247,685
2,68
2,397,557
Realized gain (loss) and change in unrealized appreciation
(depreciation) of investments ........................................................
28,692,176
— 28,692,176
(251,323)
— 28,440,853
Increase (decrease) in net assets....................................... 31,089,733
(756,892)
30,332,841
345,973
9,724
30,688,538
Net assets, beginning of year........................................................ 98,340,615 49,143,604 147,484,219 11,072,667 53,318,759 211,875,645
Net assets, end of year................................................................... $ 129,430,348
$ 48,386,712
$ 177,817,060
$ 11,418,640
$ 53,328,483 $ 242,564,183
$
A complete set of RPB’s combined financial statements has been reproduced, along with the report of independent accountants, as a separate document. A copy may be obtained by contacting RPB
at 1-800-621-0026.
R e s e arch to Prevent Blindness 1,20
4
14
33
13,63
13,63
(56,710
(54,02
265,90
211,87
Investing with RPB to Save Sight
For 50 years as the leading public foundation driving
vision science, RPB has played a pivotal role in
transforming and nourishing research efforts in this
country. RPB’s founder, Jules Stein, M.D., and the
founding Board of Trustees, created an organization
that could adapt to the needs of medical institutions,
scientists, and patients.
Contributors to our cause understand that our resources
are strategically applied to scientists of maximum
potential to pursue investigations with maximum effect.
They also understand that giving to a research-focused
organization is different from giving to a service-focused
entity. Investing with RPB increases the possibility of
someday eliminating our reason for being.
Historically, RPB’s programs have focused on five areas:
providing unrestricted support to researchers; assisting in
the financing and construction of new lab space; spurring
the purchase and design of scientific equipment; creating
a talented research corps; and raising awareness of eye
research in the public and professional spheres through
communications.
One way to join our effort is to include in a will a
bequest that assures the continuity of research. To make
a bequest, this simple form may be followed:
Since day one, RPB’s core has been its Research Program,
which has awarded thousands of grants to date.
RPB receives Allergan
Foundation grant
Mr. Gavin Herbert,
right, a former longtime Trustee of Research
to Prevent Blindness,
accepts a grant check
from David Pyott,
Chairman of Allergan Inc.,
of which Mr. Herbert is
the founder.
34
I give and bequeath to Research to Prevent
Blindness, Inc., the sum of $_____ or _____ percent
of my residuary estate or the following described
property, i.e., securities and other assets to be used in
furtherance of RPB’s general purposes or for research
related to a specific eye disease, e.g., macular
degeneration, glaucoma, etc.
Contact RPB to discuss any number of options for
supporting eye research, including: donating securities;
creating endowment funds; making a tribute gift; or
establishing a Charitable Remainder Trust that enables
you to provide for yourself and/or your family, and to
support eye research as well. Please be sure to consult
your attorney or financial advisor regarding the final
form of any lifetime or testamentary transfer.
ALL GIFTS AND BEQUESTS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Research to Prevent
Blindness, Inc. (RPB) is recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as
a publicly supported tax-exempt organization under section 501(c) (3) of
the Internal Revenue Code.
5 0 Y e a r s o f Re s e a r c h t o P r e v e n t B l i n d n e s s
“…only research
can solve the
stubborn mysteries
of blindness.”
—from RPB’s first annual report, 1960
The Value of an Investment
Endowment Funds
Generous contributors assure stability and continuity in
the development of RPB’s far-reaching programs. Existing
funds include the following:
Jules and Doris Stein Endowment Fund................. $ 45,087,782
Jules and Doris Stein Matching Fund..........................7,774,030
Lew R. and Edie Wasserman Endowment Fund...........1,407,412
William and Mary Greve Memorial Fund........................519,943
Dolly Green Endowment Fund.......................................500,000
Sybil B. Harrington Endowment Funds........................3,712,392
Desiree L. Franklin Endowment Fund.............................138,700
Eugene G. Blackford Memorial Fund...............................28,000
John D. and Patricia Sakona Endowment Fund ...............75,453
David B. Sykes Family Endowment Fund........................205,454
Ernest E. and Elizabeth P. Althouse Memorial Fund....2,193,667
William Mallory, Jr. Endowment Fund............................172,072
”An RPB grant can be used in ways that other grants cannot.
Other funding sources can be reticent to provide money to
buy equipment, even essential equipment in many cases, so
we may not have adequate tools to perform experiments
that are really groundbreaking. Having the flexibility of RPB
funds allows investigators, either singly or jointly, to buy
equipment that substantially moves their research forward.
“With support from RPB, my lab is investigating corneal
nerve repair. Corneal nerves can be damaged in a number
of clinical situations, including eye surgery (LASIK vision
correction, keratoplasty and cataract surgery), infections
(herpes simplex and zoster), trauma, and dry eye syndrome.
If there is loss of sensation related to this nerve damage it
can lead to severe abnormalities of the ocular surface. So
we’re trying to figure out how we can regulate healing to
improve outcomes with all types of corneal surgery.”
Mark I. Rosenblatt, M.D., Ph.D., Weill-Cornell Medical College
RPB Career Development Award 2008
A Record of Economy and Efficiency
RPB’s fund raising cost ratio has been less than 2% for more than half a
century of service. Its staff of nine is among the smallest of all major
organizations in the voluntary health field.
RPB is committed to stimulate, sustain and intensify a concerted
research assault, with the goal of developing more effective treatments,
preventives and cures for all diseases of the visual system that damage
and destroy sight. RPB mobilizes financial resources in support of eye
research making available essential laboratory space, scientific personnel
and advanced technological equipment in its mission, which seeks to
preserve vision and restore sight.
Research to Prevent Blindness
645 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022-1010
212-752-4333 or 1-800-621-0026 • FAX: 212-688-6231
web site: www.rpbusa.org • E-mail: [email protected]